X     x f foot-measuring



Jun. 27, 1931'.

' E. J. BLISS ETAL FOOTIEASURING DEVICE Filed Nov. 4, 1925 Patented Jan. V27, Y1931 i 1551 Nvr FFICE RLMRR J. RLiss, or BOSTON, AND CHARLES E. CLARK, YORWINTHRCP, MASSACHU- sRTTS, ASSIGNORS To REGAL SHOE'COMPANY, or WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS,v A-

VCORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS' f FOOT-MEASURING Environ v Application. filed' November `This inventionv relates to theart ofziitting feet with shoes of appropriate length and Width, and vcomprises certain' 'improvements in foot measuring y devices especially adapted to the easy and convenient'ascertainment of the particular sizeof shoe available from a' -commercial stock that will most nearly lit the pairof feetbeing measured;

In United vstates, Lettersrnent to E. vJQ 1o Bliss No .,1,426,l23, there'is illustrated and described a form of ffoot measuring machine characterized by twov independently movable side gauges so coyordinated-with al width size` scale and pointer as'to indicate width sizes iifn lcorrespon-dence with 'the length of the Oot. Y l .y

Thepresent inventiondeals lwith the same problem but employs width orvsideV gauges which are fixed in place, while longitudinally movable heel and toe gauges are` utilizedin association with properly laid out .scales to give at once the length size and the width size readings appropriate vto the interposed foot, being measured. Becausejof its greater simp-licity of construction, and by reason ofthe fact 'that a y single reading indicates both width and length sizes of thefoot measured, Y this device is particularly adapted tobe sent out to customers for self-measurementso that shoes of correct sizefmay bef/orderedv withouta personal call at the store by the "p customer. I p Y `The principle of utilizing fixed side gauges for ascertaining correctlyl the Vwidth size of a human footVV and of indicating the length` of the footV Vin conjunction with such side gauges is-believed to be new inthe art of Shoe fitting, and constitute the underlying features of this invention. These and other features of the invention will beparticularly describe-d in this specification andi'will be` defined in the claims annexed,

In the accompanying drawings is illus-y trated a construction and arrangement embodying the principles of this invention vin Vconcrete form, in whichji;

Figure l is a plan view'of the complete footmeas'uring device. v

Figure 2 isa longitudinal Vvertical section on the plane 2,-2 of Fig. `l. y

4, 1925. serial No;e6,8`54.

Figure Slis a side elevation of the device.

Figure is a front elevation of the heel gauge-4 v f Figure 5: is a detail view showing theslidable heel and toe gauges'in their relative posltions to each other but removed from the bodyV of the machine.V t Y In order to make clear the principle of action of this measuring device it maybe` stated that while, under standard practice in shoe making and size marking of shoes, each increase in length size is equal to L1/3 of an inch, and each increase in width sizeisfequalV to 1/12th of an inch, yet the `designation's of lengthsizes are absolute and uniform,"while` the designations'of width sizes vary according to the length of the foot. That is, for Veach increase in the length size measurement cfa' foot the width size designation drops one gradation or'width size ifthe actual` distance across the ball is the same in both cases. For example, under the standard system of shoe making and marking a No. 8 foot will measure just 1/3 inchlonger than a No. 7 foot or .p1/3 inch less than arNo. 9 foot, and the length size numbers 7, 8, 9, or any others inthe series, always denote a positive and Vuniformlength measurement in inches and fractions of Van inch. Howeveig a foot that measures'SC will have the same actual ball width Vmeasurement in inches and fractions thereof as a No. 7D or as No. 9B; hencea No.

9B is two width sizes wider Vthan aNoLTB, and a No. 8D will measure two width sizes or l/th of an inch more across 'the ball than will a No. 6D. In standard practiceit is assumed that the ball length measurement of a normal foot, thatis the length from the back of the heel to the ball-joint of the great toe, is. practically equal ,to2/3 ofv the entire length of the foot from heel to toe. Consequently, in comparative-ly normally proportioned feet it will 4be clear that if one foot measuresfone size length'or 1/3 inch longer than another, the ball lengthof that footl will be 2/3X1/3 or 2/9 inch longer than the other foot. Concretely comparing an 8G foot witha 7C foot, A V'both normally proportioned, the former will bel/3 inch Vlonger and 1/12 inch wider across the ball than the latter, whilethe ball length of the former will be 2/9 inch longer than thatI of the latter'.

There is one further point that should be noted in shoe making, namely, the practice of extending the toe of the last, and consequently of the shoe on which the last is made, from l 1/2 to 4 length-sizes in excess of the actual length measurement of the foot for which the shoe is intended. These extensions or additions in length to the toe part of the shoe vary with the style of shoe and with the individual notions of the different shoe manufacturers, but it will be obvious that unless the last was made somewhat longer than the actual length of the foot the tip of the toe would press against the forward part of the toe-cap and cause discomfort. `While such extensions, so-called, are always used for this reason, the length-size designation is not changed by any addition of extensions but conforms to the actual size measurement of the foot for which it is int-ended.

vWith these prefatori,7 explanations we will now explain the construction and arrangement of our foot-measuring device which, of necessity, recognizes the size-designating practice above set forth.

The frame or body portion l, of the device, primarily affords a means of supporting` or carrying the gauging elements and, incidentally, affords supporting platform for thefoot. In the form shown the base is provided with a longitudinal shallow groove or slideway 2, in which are mounted, side by side, a pair of longitudinal slides 5 and 6. One of these, slides 5, is provided at its forward end with an upstanding stop forming a toe-gauge across the forepart of the machine. The other slide 6 is provided at its rear end with an upstanding heel engaging stop 6a adapted to gauge against the rear of the heel. These toe-gauging and heel-gauging` members form a caliper provided with a length-size y scale and pointer givingthe length-size reading of an interposed foot. v A cover plate or top plate 3 is secured o top of the base l so as t-o bridge over the longitudinal slides 5 and 6 and keep them in position, without interfering'with their sliding movements. This top plate is provided at its forward portion with two divergent upright members or gauges il, whose angle of divergence corresponds to the increment of width measurement for each increment in ball length, that is, the width between opposite points of the gauge members 4, increases at the rate of l/l2 of an inch for each 2/9 of an inch increase in distance from the heel.

A window or opening, as shown at 3l), midway between the two side 4, exposes to view the underneath portion of the two slides 5 and 6 One of these slides, in this case, the slide 5 forming partofthe toe-gauge member, is provided with a length sizerscale with numbers running from 4 to 12, so as to include the full range of length sizes for mens shoes. The other slide forming part of the heel gauge member is cut out at its inner edge to leave a pointer 6?), adapted to travel alongside the length size scale of the toe-gauge to act, in conjunction with the length-size scale, to indicate the length size of shoe appropriate to the interposed foot being measured.

On the stationary bottom of the slideway 2, adjacent to and directly beneath the pointer portion of the heel-gauge slide, is arranged a width-size scale, the difl'erent scale lines being designated A, B, C, D, E and F successively and being spaced 2/9 of an inch apart in correspondence with the standard ball length gradations previously described. The width-indicating letters A, B, C etc., are used in preference to the width scale numerals to avoid possible confusion between the length scale numerals and the width scale.

The position of the scale indicia is definitely located as follows: a foot-form or dummy conforming in length and width, let us say, to a 7C foot under standard measurements, is placed, toe forward, between the gauges and is moved rearwardly until the ball portion or widest part of the foot-form snunly engages the two side-gauges so that further rearward movement is thereby prevented. The heel-gauging member is then moved forward into gauging contact with the heel end of the foot form7 and in that position the opening that defines the pointer 67) also defines the location for the letter C of the widthscale. The toe-gauge is also slid back into engagement with the tip end of the toe portion of the foot-form, and when it is in that posit-ion the pointer G?) will define or point to the correct location. for the length-scale mark to be designated by the length-size, numeral 7, in correspondence with the lengthsize of the foot-form used.

The other length scale marks may then be laid olf from the No. 7 mark thus ascertained as a starting point at intervals of l/B inch apart for full sizes, the numerals applied running in a. consecutive ascending order toward the heel and in a consecutive descendingl order toward the toe. Half sizes may be indicated by intermediate marks.

rIhe width scale marks are spaced 52/9 inch apart since, in the arrangement illustrated, they represent `gradations in ball length.

To prevent accidental displacement of the heel and the toe-gauge men; ,rs when the foot is removed for inspection of the indicator scales, we employ friction brakes in the form of springs 8, mounted in rec es or pockets 9, in the base so as to normally maintain a frictional Contact with the slides 5 (S, and resist any tendency on their part to jar out of place.

Since it is desirable to take the foot-measurement when the foot 1s expanded under the i step on the width scale,and, therefore the heel-gauge 6a to move forward into engagement with the heel whilethe heel-rest is affording adequate'suppoi't for the heel. .To permit this forward movement, while aiordiiigsupport for the heel, the wider part of the upright gauge 6a is under-cut, as shown at 6c, so as to overhang the elevated portion 3a. Y l

A telt covering, as shown at a, may be used to avoid metal Acontact with the footwhen the device is made of metal; Y

In practice the person whosefoot is being measured places his Jfoot between the side gauges, drawing it rearwardly as far as the side gauges will permit, The side gauges, therefore, define the position of the ball or widest portion of the foot. The heel gauge is then moved up into gaugingcontact with the heel and the toe-gauge' is moved rearwardly into gauging contact with the toe or" the toot. The movableheel and toe-gauges, therefore, form, in effect, a size-stick for measuring the over-all lengthofthe foot, 2/3 ot that length lying normally betweenthe ball f and the heel and being talenup by the inoveinent of the heel-gauge, while :the other third of the length of the entire toot is embraced between the tip of the toeand the ball and is taken up by the movement ofthe toe-gauge.

l/Vhile we have shown in theV form illus-. vtrated the heel-gauge member provided with a pointer to register with the length-scale on the'toe-gauge member, and with the widthscale onv the body ,of the device, it will be understood that the heel-gauge or the teegauge member may be used as the pointer member in co-ordinatioirwith the properly laid out length-scale on the other slidable gauge member, and with the fixed or sta- 1 tionary width-scale on the base-,or body et the device, rlhis will be apparent if Awe consider lthe measurements, forv example, of a normal 7C foot in. which the toot'is so related to the gauges as toindicate a 7 C meas-V urement. Now suppose that a ZD foot is placed in the measuring device. Y ln that case the additional width size at theball ot the foot will arrest or stop the` rearward movement of the foot 2/9 inch `in advance Vet th position assumedby the' 7C, and the heelgauge and the toe-gauge must,'ot course, advance the same distanceV since the lengt measurement ot the toet is precisely the Y as the 7C toot. As both scales advance io-a like extent they willboth move forward one of them, if provided wi Y opening corresponding to (Se, willexpose to View the width-ind ica'ting lett-er D instead of,

as before, the width-indicating letter' C.

- It will, therefore, be seenthatthe ixed pair of side gauges constitute the means for gitudinally' movable heel and toe gauges' pro-` vided witli a `length-size scale and with a width-size scale indicating, respectively, the

length-'size and thewidt-h-size measure-ments' of the foot when all members are in gauging contact with the foot.

2.1n a foot measuring device, the combination with a base, Vof divergent side gauges projecting above saidbase in fixed spaced relation tov receive and' contact with the ball portion of anV interposed foot, said base being provided with a width-size scale,

longitudinally movable heel-gauging Y and toe-gauging members, one of which-isprovided witha length-size scale, the other of which is provided with a length-size pointer adapted to register with appropriate points oiz the length-size1 scale and also with appropriate points on said width-size scale, thereby;

indicating Ythe width of the interposedioot nally Yslidablevheel and toe gauge-members 'i havingupraifsed stops forming gauging contact with, the heel and with thetoe, respectively, otan interposed foot whose'ball portionislin Contact with said side gauges,Y one ot saidl longitudinally slidable gauge-members .being provided with a length-size scale properly associated with a pointer on the'V i i other slidable :gauge-member toAV indicate .the

lengthsize otai'oot and a iii-red lwidth-size n Y u n a 1 scale coordinatedwith one ot` said sliuable gauges to indicatethe width-size ot the foot in correlation` to its length-size.

a. In a foot-measuring device, the combination with a Vroot-'supporting` element' having opposite side gauges divergingfat a predetermined angle for positioningr an interposed i foot on: the support, ot' longitudinally slidablehee'l and toe Vgauge-meinbers movable into gauging cor'itactwith the heel and the Y toe, respectively, vOtan interposed foot whose ball portion is in Contact with said side gauges, ione ofsaid ,v slidable gauges being scale extending longitudinall)fv thereorl to regi'- ister with said pointer in various positions of adjustment.

5. In a foot-ineasuring device, the combination with a foot-supporting base provided with a raised heel portion and having xed divergent ball-gauging members, of longitudinallv slidable heel and toe-gauging members one of which is provided With a length-size scale and the other being provided with a pointer adapted to register with said scale.v the raised heel portion of said base beine' slotted at its rear end to provide support for the heel of a foot while allowing the heel-gauge to travel forward into said slot to form gauging contact with the heel of a superposed foot.

6. In a foot-measurinedevice, the combination with a base adapted to provide a supporting frame for the foot being measured and havin divergent side-gauges for engagin; the ball nortion of the foot. of longitudinallv movable heel and toe gauges adapted to form gauging contact with the beel and toe, respectively, of an interposed foot to indicate` in association with a suitable scale, the size length of the foot, and means for frictionallv retaining the movable gauge members against accidental displacement from gauging' position. Y

7. In a foot measuring device for fitting shoes. the combination of forwardlv diver- :rent side -`franges secured together in fixed relation, lonw'tudinal independently movable slides arranged in iuXta-position to each other, a toe-.frange member at the forward end of one slide.y a heel-gauge member at the rear end of the other slide, one of said slides beingr provided with a length-size scale in coordination with. a size-indicating pointer on the other slide, and means for frietionallv holding said slides against accidental movement., while allowing* `them to be shifted to sanering? position. A

8. In a foot measuring;` device the combination with base having means for engaging: the opposite ballportions of a foot to position the foot lengthwise of the base according te its width, and provided with a width-size scale, of means for caliper-ingl the leifrth of the foot wherever it mai7 be thus n enel` said length caliper-innl means bein er coordinated with said width-size scale to indicate the width measurement of the foot in correlation with its length.

9. foot measuring device embracing in eombination a base havingupwardly projecting, rearwardly converging liXed side gauges adapted to engage the opposite ball 

